Sleeping-car.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

P. P. CARROLL.

SLEEPING CAR.

APPLICATION FILED 11.111.26.1904.

nvauroz @MM Gttozmuj tional view in side elevation.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SLEEPING-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed March 26. 1904. Serial No. 200.174.

To a/ZZ whom, it waag concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK P. CARROLL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashing-ton, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sleeping-Cars, of which the following` is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of sleeping-cars, the objects being to provide a car of this nature which will accommodate at least as many people as the present car and at the same time will afford more space for the berths without lessening the aisle-space.

A further object is the provision of a section which will accommodate from four to eight persons if need be and which will afford complete privacy for the occupants thereof which is not the case at present.

In accomplishing these and other objects I employ certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, such as will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a car provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec- Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through one of the sections, showing the upper berth let down; and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the upper berth in raised position and a slide partly open.

A indicates the car-body, which is of the usual form of parlor sleeping-cars of the American plan and provided with the entrances 1 1 at the ends, on either side of which are the toilet and drawing rooms 2 2 3 3,1'espectively.

In the usual construction of sleeping-cars the berths or sections line the sides of the car, leaving a single aisle between the two rows of berths, which is hardly wide enough to permit two persons to pass each other. Furthermore, the upper berths are arranged beneath the downwardly curving roof of the car, so that they can barely accommodate one person comfortably. Again, the arrangement of curtains on sleeping cars is such that they virtually afford no privacy to the occupants of a section and the odor arising from the curtains in humid weather is most disagreeable. So, too, when a single section is made up the window is closed and affords no ventilation for the car, the atmosphere of which becomes very heavy when all the sections are made up. My improvements obviate all these disadvantages by reason of the fact that I arrange the seats forming t-he berths centrally of the car, instead of on the sides thereof, the entrances 1 1 communicating with the side aisles 4 4, extending the length of the car on either side of the seats. The car is of course provided with the usual windows 5 5, the central ventilating-trunk 6 also having windows 7 7 therein. Each section consists of two seats S S, facing each other, the backs of the seats of adjacent sections adjoining one another, the sections being separated from each other by partitions 10 10, and these partitions are provided with sliding doors 11 11, which can be opened or closed as desired. Just above the sliding doors are suspended the upper berths 12 12, the outer ends of which when let down are supported by means of the usual chains 13 13, secured to each outer corner. The extreme end seats S are of course provided with partitions also and each section is provided with double side walls 14 14, having door openings 15 15 formed therein, the door-openings being closed by sliding doors 16 16, which may be slid back between the double walls of the sides when the section is open.

It will be seen that the car can be easily ventilated even when all the sections are closed, as the sections are isolated from the windows and each section is practically a small room. lhen the berths are not made up, the upper berths are raised, as shown, and as in the usual manner and the doors 16 16 slid apart. The slides 11 11 may also be opened between adjacent sections to afford more ventilation, if desirable, or for the purpose of communication through the openings 11a 11. Vhen the berths are made up in one section, the section can easily be closed from inspection from the outside by means of the sliding doors 16 16 and the slides 11 1 1, thus completely secluding the occupants from the remainder of the car.

It is evident that many changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sleeping-car, the combination with IOO IIO

a dosed earbody provided with separate yrooms at each corner thereof, of a series of compartments permanently arranged centrally and extending longitudinally of the car-body, the com artments being of less width than the Widt of the carabody to form an aisle on each side of the series of compartments, the compartments each comprising side Walls and end partitions, doors in the side Walls, seats located Within each compartment, the seats facing each other, upper berths hinge-secured to the partitions, a oentral longitudinally-extending Ventilating trunk, the partitions extending thereinto and Ventilating means in the trunk for Ventilating the compartments,

2. In a sleeping-car, the combination With a closed car-body, provided With separate rooms in each of the corners thereof, of a series of permanently-located compartments extending centrally and longitudinally ofthe car-body, the compartments comprising side Walls and end partitions, the compartments being of less Width than the car-body to provide an aisle, seats located in each compartment and facing' each other', upper berths hingesecured to the partitions and movable toward and from each other, the partitions having openings formed therein above the seats and beneath the up er berths and opaque slides for closing t e openings bctween the compartments.

3. In a sleeping-car a combination With a closed car-body, of a series of compartments permanently arranged centrally and extending longitudinally of the car-body, the compartments of less Width than the Width of the car-body to form an aisle on each side of the series of compartments, the compartments each comprising side Walls and end partitions, doors inthe side Walls, seats located Within each compartment, and upper berths hingesecured to the partitions.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

. P. P. CARROLL. Witnesses:

S. S. CARLISLE, RALPH S. WARFIELD. 

